Congressional Research Service Reports - 1,083 Matching Results
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- Cyprus: Reunification Proving Elusive
- This report provides a brief overview of the history of the negotiations regarding reunification of the island of Cyprus and a description of some of the issues involved in those talks.
- Military Service Records, Awards, and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources
- This report provides information on locating military unit histories and individual service records of discharged, retired, and deceased military personnel. It also provides information on locating and replacing military awards and medals as well as contact information for military history centers, websites for additional sources of research, and a bibliography of other publications, including related CRS reports.
- Army Corps Supplemental Appropriations: History, Trends, and Policy Issues
- This report discusses the Army Corps of Engineers and its role in disaster recovery and flood management and how supplemental appropriations from Congress assist in funding these efforts. The 115th Congress is considering possible responses to various natural disasters in 2017. H.R. 4667--Further Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements, 2017 (as passed by the House)--proposes $12.09 billion for the agency's activities associated with response, repair, and recovery from natural disasters including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
- Clean Air Act Issues in the 115th Congress: In Brief
- This report discusses issues regarding the EPA and its regulations of greenhouse gas emissions and air quality standards under the Clean Air Act and various court proceedings and Congressional and executive discussions related to them.
- Congressional Offices of Selected Federal Agencies
- This report provides a list of about 200 congressional liaison offices, intended to help congressional offices in placing telephone calls and addressing correspondence to government agencies. Entries are arranged alphabetically in four sections: legislative branch; judicial branch; executive branch; and agencies, boards, and commissions.
- Defense Primer: Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence)
- This report provides an overview of the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence Division) and the origin of the position.
- Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: Fiscal Year 2018 Budget and Appropriations
- This report discusses the FY2018 appropriations for the State Department's Foreign Operations and Related Programs section and their funding levels, as well as the legislative process.
- National Flood Insurance Borrowing Authority
- This report evaluates the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) borrowing authority to receive loans from the U.S. Department of the Treasury -- particularly in the context of major floods -- and discusses the current financial situation of the NFIP as it pays claims from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
- What Happens if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Lapses?
- This report provides a short overview of what would happen if the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) were not to be reauthorized by January 19, 2018, and was allowed to lapse.
- Acquisition Reform in the FY2016-FY2018 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs)
- This report provides a brief overview of selected acquisition-related provisions found in the National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) for FY2016 (P.L. 114-92), FY2017 (P.L. 114-328), and FY2018 (P.L. 115-91), including the following topics that were a focus of the legislation: Major Defense Acquisition Programs, the acquisition workforce, commercial items, Other Transaction Authority, and contract types. This report also discusses the breakup of the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, as well as the shift of authority from that office to the military departments.
- Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress
- This report provides an overview of general, Arctic-related issues for Congress, such as: Arctic territorial disputes; commercial shipping through the Arctic; Arctic oil, gas, and mineral exploration; endangered Arctic species; and increased military operations in the Arctic, which could cause the region in coming years to become an arena of international cooperation or competition.
- EPA Proposes to Repeal the Clean Power Plan
- This report is an update of an earlier report regarding the EPA's (Environmental Protection Ageny's) proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan, which was intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On Dec. 28, 2017 the EPA issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking input on creating a new replacement regulation for the previous Clean Power Plan.
- Serbia: Background and U.S. Relations
- This report provides an overview of Serbia and its governmental structure, economy, and foreign relations with the U.S., Kosovo, Turkey, Russia, and the EU.
- Drug Compounding: FDA Authority and Possible Issues for Congress
- This report discusses legislation regulating the compounding of drugs by pharmacies to remove certain ingredients from a standard approved drug for patients with allergies, or for a medical clinic to keep on hand. It outlines various arguments for and against further regulation of the practice by the FDA and potential Congressional actions.
- The Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA): Overview of Workers' Compensation for Certain Private-Sector Maritime Workers
- This report discusses the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA) which requires private companies to provide workers' compensation coverage for employees engaged in longshore, harbor, or other maritime occupations. Topics include: covered workers, excluded workers, benefits under the program, and legislative discussions regarding the program.
- Protecting Consumers and Businesses from Fraudulent Robocalls
- This report discusses efforts by Congress and the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) to combat robocall scams and prevent them from reaching consumers. It includes an overview of what robocallls are, their legitimate uses, regulation, and complaint procedures for consumers.
- Unfunded Mandates Reform Act: History, Impact, and Issues
- This report discusses the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), including debates over what constitutes an unfunded federal mandate and UMRA's implementation. It includes an overview of the topic, as well as information related to Congresional Procedure (under Title I) and federal rulemaking (under Title II), with tables and an appendix on UMRA's legislative history.
- A Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment: Background and Congressional Options
- This report discuses the idea of requiring a balanced budget for the U.S. government and provides an overview of the issues and options that have been raised during prior consideration of proposals for a balanced budget constitutional amendment.
- Congress Considers Reform to Queries of FISA Information as Reauthorization Deadline Approaches
- This report is an update of an earlier report regarding Title VII of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and its expiration on January 19, 2018, along with proposed reforms to the FISA process.
- HUD Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations: In Brief
- This report describes the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) 2018 budget appropriations. The report tracks progress on FY2018 HUD appropriations and provides detailed account-level, and in some cases sub-account-level, funding information (Table 1) as well as a discussion of selected key issues.
- Iran: Politics, Human Rights, and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses Iran's political and governmental structure, major elections and political unrest (including the Dec. 2017-Jan 2018 protests), and human rights violations, as well as U.S. policy and relations with Iran.
- Kosovo: Background and U.S. Relations
- This report describes Kosovo's government and political structure, economy, and relations with the U.S., Serbia, and the European Union (EU).
- Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy
- This report discusses Libya's political and governmental structure, struggles to transition to a stable democratic government after Muammar al Qadhafi was overthrown in 2011, and U.S. policy and assistance in Libya.
- Smart Toys and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998
- This report discusses "smart toys" for children that use the internet to interact with the user. It outlines various security concerns regarding the collection and use of information about children, and whether these toys are governed by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998.
- Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of House Bills
- This report discusses the rules and procedures regarding a Congress member sponsoring or cosponsoring a bill in the House.
- The U.S. Export Control System and the Export Control Reform Initiative
- This report discusses the U.S. export control system and the initiative started by President Obama to study and make recommendations for reform of the export control system by streamlining processes and consolidating control of the program in one agency.
- Vessel Incidental Discharge Legislation in the 115th Congress: Background and Issues
- This report outlines regulations for vessels discharging ballast water into U.S waters, to prevent the spread of invasive species and pollution of bodies of water. It discusses various federal, state, and Coast Guard requirements along with exempted vessel types, and recent legislative action regarding the issue.
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): An Overview
- This report discusses the oil and gas program recently approved by President Trump for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in the context of the ANWR's history, its energy and biological resources, Native interests and subsistence uses, energy market conditions, and debates over protection and development.
- Budget Enforcement Procedures: The Senate Pay-As-You-Go (PayGO) Rule
- This report discusses the Senate pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) rule, which generally requires that any legislation projected to increase direct spending or reduce revenues must also include equivalent amounts of direct spending cuts, revenue increases, or a combination, so that the legislation does not increase the on-budget deficit in the current fiscal year, the budget year, a six-year period, or an 11-year period (the latter two periods beginning with the current fiscal year). This update includes the most recent changes to the rule, and adds information on points of order raised under the rule since 2015.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day Speech Resources: Fact Sheet
- This report assists congressional offices with work related to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It contains links to legislation, CRS reports, sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, and presidential proclamations and remarks. It also contains links to additional government web resources and selected educational, cultural, and advocacy organizations.
- Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions
- This report discusses U.S. monetary policy and the Federal Reserve. It provides an overview of monetary policy and recent developments, a summary of the Fed's actions following the financial crisis, and ends with a brief overview of the Fed's regulatory responsibilities.
- Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables
- This report discusses recent fiscal year Congressional pay raise freezes and provides: historical tables on the rate of pay for Members of Congress since 1789; details on enacted legislation with language prohibiting the automatic annual pay adjustment since the most recent adjustment; the adjustments projected by the Ethics Reform Act as compared with actual adjustments in Member pay; and Member pay in constant and current dollars since 1992.
- Supreme Court to Hear Voter Roll Case: What are the Implications?
- This report discusses the Supreme Court case of "Husted v. Phillip Randolph Institute," which charges the state of Ohio with violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) through their secondary voter registration maintenance program which removes people from the voter rolls due to inactivity. It discusses a brief history of the case before its coming to the Supreme Court and possible implications of the decision.
- Attorney General's Memorandum on Federal Marijuana Enforcement: Possible Impacts
- This report discusses Attorney General Jeff Sessions' memorandum on federal marijuana enforcement policy sent to all U.S. Attorneys that immediately rescinds guidance documents specific to marijuana enforcement. It provides background on the memorandum, the relevant regulations, and implications of withdrawing previous guidance.
- Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) and Selected Policy Issues
- This report summarizes S. 2155 and highlights major policy proposals of the bill, as reported by committee.
- Facing the FAST Act: Abortion and Free Speech (Part 1)
- First part of a report regarding the Supreme Court case: "National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra;" it involves a California state law that requires certain pregnancy centers to distribute particular information to clients which they contend violates their free speech rights. This report provides an overview of the challenged law, followed by an analysis of how the Supreme Court might categorize the speech at issue.
- Facing the FAST Act: Abortion and Free Speech (Part 2)
- Second part of a report regarding the Supreme Court case: "National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) v. Becerra;" it involves a California state law that requires certain pregnancy centers to distribute particular information to clients which they contend violates their free speech rights. This report discusses the potential implications of any Supreme Court decision in "NIFLA" for First Amendment jurisprudence and legislatures seeking to regulate in this area.
- Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress
- This report introduces the main steps through which a bill (or other item of business) may travel in the legislative process--from introduction to committee and floor consideration to possible presidential consideration. This report outlines each of the common stages through which a bill may move, with references to sources of additional information regarding complications and variations that occur in practice.
- Transatlantic Relations in 2018
- This report discusses the current state of transatlantic relations between the U.S. and Europe and especially the European Union (EU). It also outlines various European concerns over the direction of the Trump Administration and future issues for Congress to consider.
- Venezuela's Economic Crisis: Issues for Congress
- This report discusses the economic crisis in Venezuela including its origins of the crisis and current attempts at debt restructuring by the Venezuelan government. The report also outlines U.S. interests in the Venezuelan economy and trade, the outlook for U.S. holders of Venezuelan oil company bonds, ownership of CITGO (the biggest shareholder is the Venezuelan state-oil company), and the prospects of U.S. support of economic recovery in the future.
- China-U.S. Trade Issues
- This report provides background and analysis of U.S.-China commercial ties, including history, trends, issues, and outlook.
- District Court Enjoins DACA Phase-Out: Explanation and Takeaways
- This report discusses the case of "Regents of University of California v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security" and the district court ruling which limits the DACA phase-out to aliens not yet enrolled in DACA.
- Expulsion of Members of Congress: Legal Authority and Historical Practice
- This report discusses the nature of the power of Congress to remove a Member, including the historical background of the Clause, the implications of the limited judicial interpretations of the Clause's meaning, and other potential constitutional limitations in the exercise of the expulsion power. The report then analyzes the potential grounds upon which a Member might be expelled, including an overview of past cases resulting in expulsion and a discussion of the potential exercise of the expulsion power for conduct occurring prior to the Member's election or reelection to Congress.
- Funding and Financing Highways and Public Transportation
- This report discusses the current federal funding structure for surface transportation and the budget shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund (made up of funds from gas taxes). Various options for resolving the funding shortfall are discussed, including raising the gas tax, public-private partnerships, and tolls.
- Mandatory Minimum Sentencing of Federal Drug Offenses
- This report is an overview of the Controlled Substances Act (or the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act) and federal minimum sentencing requirements for drug offenses.
- Recent Changes in the Estate and Gift Tax Provisions
- This report describes the basic structure of the estate and gift tax, provides a brief history of recent developments, discusses the revenue effects and distribution of the tax, and briefly discusses issues and options.
- Temporary Extension of the Community Health Center Fund
- This report discusses the funding of the Community Health Center program and the temporary extension of the program beyond FY2017 when its funding officially expired.
- Update: Who's the Boss at the CFPB
- This report is an update regarding the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as there were two indivuduals who claimed the right to the job. The Trump Administration appointed acting director, Mick Mulvaney, was confirmed in his position after a lawsuit filed by the previous acting director, Leandra English, was denied by the DC courts.
- History, Evolution, and Practices of the President's State of the Union Address: Frequently Asked Questions
- This report answers frequently asked questions about the President's annual State of the Union Address.
- The Logan Act: An Overview of a Sometimes Forgotten 18th Century Law
- This report discusses the Logan Act, including a brief explanation of some of the constitutional concerns that surround the law. This report concludes with a discussion of what Congress could do to modify the statute to make it less susceptible to some of these concerns.